The principle application for terminals in a network is frequently reloading certain software components from the network only on demand. This principle is known as software-on-demand. This enables the terminal to operate with less memory capacity because the amount of software and data in the terminal, which would otherwise not be used, is reduced and also central management of data and software, including in many cases the saving of software license fees, is enabled.
This principle is particularly known for IP-based telecommunication networks in which terminals reload the software for certain performance characteristics only if the user requires the performance characteristic, i.e. if he uses or activates it (feature-on-demand). For this, the performance characteristics are stored on a central server, also known as a “feature mall” and a performance characteristic is transmitted to the terminal on activation and installed there. The feature mall can also serve as a centralized or decentralized service.
This process is satisfactory for the user only if he notices the transmission as little as possible, i.e. particularly if he does not have to take into account long waiting times. This depends mainly on whether the bandwidths necessary for quick transmission are available at the demand timepoint.
Within local networks (LAN) the bandwidths are normally sufficient to enable features to be transmitted almost in real time. The user in this case can thus hardly distinguish between whether the performance characteristic is being transmitted on demand or it is already installed in his terminal.